A/N – Some words in this story, like Indian, native, or anything similar, might seem a little offensive to some viewers. I apologize for that and I assure you that I don't mean any offense. Thanks.
Justin's POV
I sat up groggily and blinked the sleep out of my eyes. I stretched my stiff muscles and silently complained about how hard my bed was. I glanced around to see just where my bed was and realized I was lying on the floor of a rocky cave entrance. And I was not alone. The weird Indian people were gathering around and I felt excitement in the room's atmosphere.
Why are all the native people so excited?
Before I could so much as stand up, the Indians swarmed around me and tied my wrists together. A short, old looking woman bent down and tied my ankles together as well. A drum sounded in the distance and a long rigid wooden stick was brought into the cave.
The two strongest looking men approached it and each grabbed one end. Another strong guy threw me off my feet by lifting my ankles into the air. They tied my feet to the wooden pole and then my hands. Oh great, I thought, I walk all night, and then what? I get CARRIED?
I pulled my wand out of my back pocket, (with some difficulty since I'm upside down) and pointed it to the chief's face. He laughed and pulled it from my hand. I watched in horror as he broke my wand clean in half.
"What'd you do that for?" I shouted angrily at him. That thing cost me more than thirty wizard coins!
After my loud outburst, a lady came and stuffed some old rags in my mouth. They carried me away and I hung there by my wrists and ankles in defeat.
Alex's POV
I was really starting to enjoy this little unexpected vacation. I had no clue where Justin ran off to, but I was content where I was. These beautiful people in face paint were constantly bringing me the best of the best food. I sat on a large pile of white swan feathers in the sweltering heat. Every time I got hot enough for the Indians to notice, two little boys in shorts ran out with a leaf and fanned cool air across my feather bed.
"This was the life." I thought as I leaned back into the soft bed. I looked to my right and saw the tall leader sitting in a pile of black feathers, similar to mine. He smiled when I looked over. I was really starting to like him, once I found out who he was.
His name is Okhmhaka, which means "little wolf". I found this out by the pictures that he showed me. Although the name suits him perfectly, I prefer to call him Oakley. It's almost the same and much easier to pronounce. Every time I say his name, the people around me laugh at my nickname. He still insists on calling me Aquila, for some unknown reason. I couldn't ask him because he didn't speak English, no one here did.
In the far distance I heard Indian voices of men. It sounded like they were arguing over something. Oakley rushed over to me and put his hand over my eyes. The men's voices grew closer until it sounded like they were not ten feet in front of us. I heard a muffled noise, like someone was had their hand over their mouth and was trying to speak. The footsteps faded until everything was quiet again. Oakley removed his hand from my face and I understood that whatever just walked by I wouldn't have wanted to see.
I really loved Oakley for protecting me from every little thing that has happened so far. He ordered the leaf-fanners to come by when it got hot out, he told the people what food I liked best, he told the Indians to bring white feathers, rather than black (I don't know why). So far, he's my favourite.
Other than the one occurrence with Oakley covering my eyes, the rest of the day was laid back and lazy. I spent the whole day relaxing in the sun. When the sun had set, the men built a canopy over our two feather beds and I fell asleep next to a bonfire to keep warm. The last thing I mumbled before crashing was "I hope Justin's alright, wherever he is."
Justin's POV
I was carried and carried through what felt like the hottest day I've ever experienced. I was drenched in sweat and sunburns, but they people carried me further and further tied on the stick. My wrists and ankles had big blisters on them from rubbing against the wooden pole.
We stopped walking suddenly and I looked up. Alex was sitting right in front of me! I tried to call out to her through the rags stuffed in my mouth, but as soon as I tried that, a guy tapped me with his walking stick. I struggled against the tough ropes I was tied with, but it was all in vain. The guys that tied these ropes must have been experts.
I looked behind me and saw a young man sitting beside Alex. He had one hand resting on her shoulder and the other covering her eyes from seeing me. She was smiling and leaning towards him; he sat really close to her on a soft feather bed. What is she doing? I yelled silently. Then a thought struck me. That was the same look on her face as when she first saw Mason! (And Dean, and George, and Riley) Typical Alex! Everywhere she goes, she has handsome young guys following her.
The men carried me far away from my sister and that guy over there. They walked and walked until the blazing sun went down. (Again) They dropped me on a stone floor and threw a few leaves at me to sleep on.
Just Great, I thought.
I sat awake, staring at the moon, wondering how Alex was doing. By the brief glance I saw earlier, it looked like she was in much better condition than I was at the moment. Right now I envied her. She still had her wand; she was probably warmer, more comfortable, and well fed. The only thing I ate all day was some bread they stuffed in my mouth while I hung upside down. (This by the way is not the best way to eat.)
I couldn't see anything more than a couple feet away from me because it was so dark here. All I saw was the same brown rock surrounding me. It was very cold where I was. I didn't see anyone near me, but I could sense their presence not far away. Someone placed a bucket of water next to me and I scrubbed my face clean. I rinsed my aching wrists and ankles in the freezing water. I curled up in a little ball and fell asleep on the hard rock ground extremely cold.